Isabela and Fernandina Islands
Today most of us woke early to a very calm ocean and a sunrise in an almost completely blue sky. We were scanning the horizon for cetaceans and other marine life, which were easy to spot in such calm conditions but not quite abundant. Yet we saw several petrels, boobies, frigates and just before breakfast our early rising was rewarded with a small pod of common dolphins.
After breakfast we headed out in the Zodiacs for a scenic ride along the cliffs of Punta Vicente Roca. Dramatic geological formations were riddled with endemic wildlife such as marine iguanas, Galápagos fur seals and Flightless Cormorants. Further along we spotted Galápagos penguins, Brown Noddies, Blue-Footed Boobies and many other seabirds. A bit closer to the water we saw echinoderms such as starfish and sea urchins and many barnacles being trampled by the dozens of Sally Lightfoot Crabs. It is remarkable how much life such a deserted looking coastline hosts once you get close, all of this thanks to the experienced skills of our Zodiac drivers. Farther from the shore we saw many dorsal fins indicating Ocean Sunfish, and most of us had a good look at them as well.
Later we snorkeled at this same site and discovered we were not alone; many sea turtles were so kind as to let us have a real close look at them, giving us great opportunity to take photos and movie clips of them. Despite the murky water we had a blast.
After lunch, and an interesting talk about the human history by our naturalist Xavier, we headed out for a hike along the shores of Fernandina. The recent lava flows were home to a great number of marine iguanas, outnumbering us by the hundreds. Sea lions were playing or resting in the tide pools, and in the background we saw the magnificent shield volcanoes that make up this part of Galápagos giving the place a timeless feeling. In the setting sunlight we saw wildlife as pure and raw as you can get it, many of us were almost in trance walking back to the ship where cocktails were awaiting us at the sundeck.
